Belt-tightener.



No. 650,!3l. PatentedMay 22, |900i Y B. G. LUTHER.

BELT TIGHTENER. (Application med oct. ao, 1899.)

UNITED. STATES PATENT FEICE.

BENJAMIN G. LUTHER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BELT-TIG HTEN ER.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,131, dated May 22d,190C).

Original application filed September 17, 1898, Serial No. 691,235.Divided and this application led October 30, 1899. Serial No. 735,292.(No model-l To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN G. LUTHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, have inventeda newand useful Improvement in Belt-Tighteners, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to'provide suitable means whereby thedriving-belts employed at opposite sides of a wood-planing machine fordriving the cutter-cylinders may be maintained at the proper degree oftension from the same belt-tightening means; and it consists in improvedmeans for adjusting the opposite belt-tightening rollers relatively toeach other from the same rock-shaft, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of aWood-planing machine provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 represents adetail front view showing the driving-shaft and the driving-belt, theholding-yokes for the belt-tightening rollers, and the adjusting means.Fig. 3 represents an enlarged section taken in the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, A represents the frame of the planing-machine;B, the driving-pulley of the lower knife-cylinder; C, the driving-pulleyof the upper knife-cylinder, and D D the belt-tightening rollers, thesaid tightening-rollers being held in the yokes E E, loosely held at theopposite ends of the rockshaft F, the said rock-shaft being held in thebearing-brackets G G, which are bolted to the sides of the frame A. Tothe extreme outer ends of the rock-shaft F are rigidly secured theadjusting-arms I-I H, by means of which the angular position of theroller-yokes E E may be varied, so that the belts I I, although ofdiiferent and varying lengths, may be tightened from the Weightedrock-shaft F, the angular position of either of the roller-yokes E Ebeing made adjustable by means of the opposite adjusting-screws J J,which at their points bear against the side of the web Kv of theroller-yoke. The driving-belts II at opposite sides of the machine passfrom the driving-pulleys M M upon the driving-shaft N, over thetightening-rollers D D, thence around the pulley B of the lowerknife-cylinder, thence around the pulley C of the upper' knife-cylinder,and thence back to the driving-pulleys M M. To the middle portion of therock-shaft F is secured the slotted arm O, and to the said slotted armis bolted the leverarm P, upon which is placed the adjustable weight Q,and by means of the slot connection between the slotted armO and thelever-arm P the position of the said lever may be regulated for anyrequired change in the position of the tightening-rollers D D, owing tothe gradual stretching of the belts I I in use.

It is evident that one of the roller-yokes may be rigidly secured totherocl-shaft, while the other is made adjustable; but I prefer toarrange both roller-yokes forlike adjustment, and my improvedbelt-tightening device constitutes a desirable improvement when employedin connection with similar drivingbelts at opposite sides of themachine.

I claim as my inventionl. In a belt-tightening device, adapted foroperation upon similar belts at opposite sides of a machine, thecombination of the drivingbelts with the Weighted rock-shaft, thebelttightening rollers, the loose roller-yoke upon the rock-shaft, afixed arm adjacent thereto upon the rock-shaft, and means for adjustingthe angular position of the loose roller-yoke relatively to the ixedarm, to cause the proper tightening of the belts at opposite sides ofthe machine, substantially as described.

2. In a belt-tightening device adapted for operation upon similar beltsat opposite sides of the machine, the combination of the driving-belts,with the Weighted rock-shaft, the belt-tightening rollers, a roller-yokeloose upon the rock-shaft, a fixed arm adjacent thereto upon therock-shaft, means for adjusting the angular position of the looseroller-yoke relatively to the fixed arm, the slotted arm secured to therock-shaft, and the Weighted lever secured tothe slotted arm,substantially as described.

BENJAMIN G. LUTHER.

Witnesses.

JOSEPH K. GREENE, JOHN J. MAoMAHoN.

